The organizers of the annual Clifford Daniels Memorial Toy
Drive in the Bessemer cut-off are facing increasing financial pressures in
trying to maintain it and are reaching out to businesses, elected officials and
the public for monetary contributions or donations of new, unwrapped toys.

"Over a period of years, our requests for toys have grown
and, with the economy like it is, our donations have gone down," said Alphonza
Moore, president of The Coins Club, sponsors of the drive, at a Bessemer City
Council planning session Tuesday. "What we are striving to do is keep those
families afloat that we've been servicing, because every year is an increase,
and things get more expensive."

Moore said that the number of families in Bessemer and other
communities for whom the Coins Club provides toys has grown from about 75 to
about 200.

According to Moore, there have been suggestions by some club
members that they scale the program back, which he said is an option, but he said
that cutting it out entirely is not. "We take great pride in it, and we don't
want to see it die," he said. "There are a lot of people out there who need
help, and it's growing, so we want to keep this toy drive going for as long as
we can to reach as many families as we can."

Moore asked the city for financial
help, but City Attorney Shan Paden and City Council Attorney Gregory Harris told
City Council President Ron Marshall that it is illegal for the city to make
direct contributions to a non-profit group. However, the individual council
members are free to make contributions, Paden said. Marshall encouraged council
members to do so and applauded the club's efforts.

The late Clifford Daniels headed up the club's toy drive for
many years, according to a flyer distributed by Moore. The club recently honored
Daniels by naming the drive for him.

The Coins Club, according to Moore, is a 501-3C non-profit
and has a separate account set up strictly to handle donations for the drive.

December 22 is the day when toys are given out, Moore said, but
there is no deadline to make a donation. "We can just put it into the account
for next year," he said.

Checks can be sent to The Clifford Daniels Memorial Toy
Drive, c/o The Coins Social and Saving Club, 302 Ninth Street, Bessemer, AL
35020.